Comments on: Can Christians Gamble in Good Conscience?

By: Scott

Scott — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 07:23:32 +0000

Incidentally, I also really like Roy C B’s perspective on this topic. What I saw upon visitation to a Casino once (for the meal of course, and for a brief foray onto the floor) was indeed a lot of lost and hurting people – and some of them probably Christians who got off the trail. Well, as Jesus Himself visited places where people of questionable repute hung around, I feel so should we if the opportunity manifests itself. I was invited to a concert and that’s how I landed there that night. We were with guests who invited us so it was hard to break away, but I told myself, however, that if I decide to go back and take a meal sometime, it would be a great opportunity to strike up conversation and offer some real hope to the hurting…if you know what I mean…without falling ourselves. With a lot of prayer, fasting and some humility (a great deal in fact), it could be a fruitful way to break a fast and bring in a sheath or two. Just a little food for our collective thoughts while on topic.

By: Scott

Scott — Sun, 15 Aug 2010 16:27:27 +0000

This is an interesting thread and I feel the need to offer my opinion. Anyone who has studied probability theory and some of the technical details of the gaming industry will learn that gambling, in most forms that know, is an elaborated investment scheme. For instance, there are games (and people love games to pass time – games have been with mankind since prehistory) that can provide reasonable returns if you understand how they work, games that you break even on and games that you will lose no matter what. This is not much unlike investing in the sense that investing in very risky high potential return investments (speculative) are often many times worse for your “odds” than playing a number of casino games (often on different scales of course). The difference being that in a casino game you get to settle your account immediately versus a stock which tends to hold your money longer and requires 3 days to settle for your funds (what is left of them in the case of speculatives). So where am I going with this? Well as Paul writes to us in Philippians 4:5 we should have moderation in the things we do as seen by others. If some activity, for instance drinking cokes, becomes addictive to you then you are not taking Philippians 4:5 into consideration – especially if all your friends know you are addicted to coca colas – and I, for one, believe that is a personal sin for you. The same is true with gambling, stock investing, and many other activities in which we as Christians sometimes participate. I also believe that we should not engage in activities we do not understand very well – so my suggestion would be first to consider your conscious testimony before the Lord (what is your motivation for doing what you do) and second, if you feel the urge or desire or leading then by all means get educated on what you are doing (know your “odds”) and like stocks, understand the mechanics of the game and consciously decide on an amount you are willing to part with for its entertainment (or investment) value and be sure that you part with no more than that amount, remembering that money from sweat (and God’s provision) is really Kingdom money. If you are obsessed (playing alone, playing often, losing a lot of money) then I do strongly believe that you are at the very least not manifesting the Fruit of the Spirit of Self Control.

By: Beth

Beth — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 02:48:03 +0000

I too came looking for answers while doing a search. We are a family of five. My husband works very hard at his job and I am a Stay at home mom. I watch other peoples kids to make ends meet. We have barely enough money to pay the bills and food. Sometimes when we do get a little extra as a gift my husband like to go play blackjack. My problem is not that my husband is losing money at the casino but is Winning. He just goes for fun and lately has been doing very very well. It has helped pay bills and fix cars and buy things that we have needed. We will be able to pay off debt and other many blessing.
My church does not approve of gambling or casinos. Is it wrong for me to give some of the winnings to the church (Which we have already done)? So far it has not become a addiction for him he knows he only wins if he goes out of fun and not a need to win. I am so torn because I feel that this money is a blessing from the Lord but I feel bad when I think about how the money came from others misfortune. However I am having a hard time discouraging him to go when it has helped our family so much.
So many on here are looking for a yes or no about it being a sin so was I. Maybe only time will tell.

By: James

James — Wed, 14 Jul 2010 18:34:24 +0000

I was raised in casinos in Reno Nevada and have always been around it. I was 9 years old then I am 38 now with family of 6 and gambling is destroying my life should be what I am to say but it is not. My free will is destroying my marriage and my life. It is a decision I make to go to the casinos in my area, It is my decision to withdraw money with no money in the bank and pay overdraft fee over and over to $1000 overdrawn each month. My wife hates what i do, my kids hate my decision making, but up until 2 days ago when she packed up and said NO MORE, you are not the priest of your home and you are no longer following after GOD you are following after idols and we will no longer follow you into the abyss. I took a long hard look and said is this gambling truly what i would trade for my marriage and kids. NO wsa the answer and I am 3 days sobriety so far. Pray for me. It wasnt even the money it was the winning and the thought of being financially free that made me decided to go. $1000 a month more in my income if I stopped, $1000 more i was trying to gain. ISNT THAT JUST IRONIC !
Love you all Saints,
James

By: Maddie

Maddie — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 18:48:53 +0000

Is fishing and hoping to catch some then also gambling?

Still nowhere in the bible where Jesus Himself said that gambling is a sin?

I am also looking for an answer. If you tell people you are buying lottery they are very quick to tell you it is a sin, but still none of them could give me the scripture as evidence. Are we not just to quick to put everything to sin?

By: Jak

Jak — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 14:57:16 +0000

I agree Sheunesu. that’s why i’ve decided to stop working my 40-hour a week job and just totally depend on God to supply my needs. Live by faith and not by efforts, right?

By: Roy C B

Roy C B — Sat, 05 Jun 2010 05:01:34 +0000

This may seem odd but hang with me, there is a connection.

How many times have you been struck by lightning? How many pearls have you found in an oyster?

The state of Florida has more lightning strikes every year than all the other states in the USA combined. You have approximately 1 chance in 750,000 of being struck by lighting in a given year, maybe as little as 1 in 2,000,000. A pregnant woman has a 1 in 705,000 chance of giving birth to quadruplets. Someone eating an oyster has a 1 in 12,000 chance of finding a pearl inside of it.

Never once in my life have I been struck by lightning. Never once have I been in a plane accident. One time in 40 years of driving have I been in an accident. Why would I think that I can win the lottery? You have better chances of getting into a car accident, plane accident, or struck my lightning, than to win your lottery. How many people enter the World Series of Poker every year? Only one of them wins the pot.

And how is it edifying to your brothers and sisters in Christ when you gamble? “Let all things be done for edification.” Day after day, week after week and dollar after dollar all being used for the ‘chance’ of winning. “Pursue love” is what I Cor. 15:1 says. How is gambling pursuing love?

Gambling, my friends, is of the world. “Come out from among them and be separate.” It is more related to coveting than it is to loving. “Let all that you do be done in love.” “Be holy for I, the LORD your God, am holy.” Every word, every breath, every deed, every thought is to be holy, set apart to Him. “…our God is a consuming fire.”

If I am honest with myself and my Lord, I have to admit that I don’t keep my promises. I have defaulted on my sacred vows. I am a sinner in constant need of grace and forgiveness even though the Lord Jesus has forgiven me. Why would I think that if I gamble things would be different?

I Tim. 6:8-12 says, “If we have food and covering, with these we shall be content. But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evil, and some by longing for it have wandered away from the faith, and pierced themselves with many a pang. But flee from these things, you man of God; and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called,…”

Jesus is our example. He did what He saw the Father doing. Did the Father gamble, or did He know the outcome before He did anything? He knew we would sin yet created us anyway. He made a way for us to be redeemed from our sin before the foundation of the world!

“Let no one say when he is tempted, ‘I am being tempted by God’; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death.”

Choose today whom you will serve…and bring forth life, not death.

By: bruce d

bruce d — Tue, 25 May 2010 20:05:53 +0000

I came upon this site when I started a biblical search on gambling. I have found references to casting lots as an obvious decision making tool, for example where another was chosen to replace Judas. What I want to know is, is it okay to play Poker at a friend’s house occasionally (maybe weekly, maybe monthly)like others play Bridge. I’m talking about very small pots that may total $40 an event. Thanks any help would be appreciated.

By: Sheila

Sheila — Wed, 19 May 2010 03:02:19 +0000

What About if they ONLY enter a scratch card Competition, & Use The Money they win, to Feed The poor & Rescue Someone in Desperate need…? Even with a good & Controlled Motive? What about if a Christian uses the money to buy a house for a poor person, who is 1, Homeless, and 2. has know-where to go, and has no money?

What if they just want to be a blessing with, the money, and make a SACRED Vow & Promise to God, that they WILL NOT Use the money to satisfy, or Please themselves, but that they will dedicate it to Being a blessing. (PHILLIPIANS 4:8) If I Have a good, Pure, noble, lovely, Motive then why Shouldn’t I just enter the competition JUST Once, & use the money to make impact in someone’s life.. After Praying, & have searched deep within my heart…

By: Gary

Gary — Wed, 05 May 2010 02:43:51 +0000

Wow, my heart is heavy. I, myself, have wrestled w/ a lot of these same questions and reasonings. In the past, I would go online and play craps for fun. It was a rush to see the chips pile up in front of me. I began thinking of going to a casino to try my hand at the real deal, but I decided to check online first to see what others might say about gambling, and I got my wife’s opinion. You can probably guess what my wife said, she’s a great friend! Needless to say, I never went. From what I have read about the addiction of gambling, and what other men of God have wrote on the subject I will say that it is one of the cleverest traps of Satan. You can’t find a verse of scripture against it! He’s so slick like that,” Did God REALLY say that? ” That was his first question put to man.
Let me ask you folks, what is sin? Is it that which is done outside of the body? No, it is what’s in the heart. The things we do, the words we say, the decisions that we make; they are all based on where our hearts are. A reflection of what’s really inside.
I will leave with this, a verse that grabbed hold of me a long time ago and I will never shake it Matt. 7:21-23 “Not every one that saith to me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.” Is Jesus really Lord of your life?